KIRKLEES BUSINESS NEWSThe business NEWSpaper for Kir k lees23, November, 2010

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KARL WARD DEAN HOYLEFeet of salesmanship!

Fu l l i n te r v i ew - Page 3Meeting ‘ the mafia ’

Fu l l s to r y - Page 4

FTSE 100- 52 .00

5680.83An EXAMINER publication

CurryingfavourFOOD and cookerycompany Curry Cuisinehas joined thearistocracy.The Dewsbury firm issupplying itsaward-winning range oftraditional hand-madechutneys and pickles tothe Chatsworth farmshop, which provideschoice products forvisitors to the statelyhome in Derbyshire.The company willsupply itsnewly-branded“Chutnee’s Handmade”products to the farmshop, which has apolicy of stockingquality, regional fare.

Buildersbear bruntYORKSHIRE buildingfirms could be facinganother tough year, it isclaimed.A survey by insolvencytrade body R3 showsthat almost half of itsmembers believe theconstruction sector willbear the brunt of thepublic sector cutbacksnext year.

Laboratory leadsway with industryBUSINESSES are set to benefit fromthe opening of a new £2.3m laboratoryat Huddersfield University.

The new chemistry lab has beenspecially equipped to solve some ofthe most urgent problems in vitalfields such as climate change, foodsupply, sustainable energy and health-care.

And its special brief is to workclosely with the region’s top firms.

The all-new facilities are occupiedby an eight-strong team of specialistresearchers from a range of academicand industrial backgrounds.

Together, they operate under thename IPOS – which stands for Innov-ative Physical and Organic Solutions.The team, is headed by eminent chem-ical scientist Professor Mike Page.

IPOS was awarded a £2.3m grant bythe European Research DevelopmentFund via regional developmentagency Yorkshire Forward.

The grant has covered the cost ofcreating the lab and installing about£1m of equipment.

This will allow the team to carry outa wide range of analytical tasks withmassively increased speed and effi-ciency.

The technology, accompanied by an

increase in staff numbers, will helpIPOS achieve the ambitious targetthat it has been set by the ERDF overthe next four years – to work closelywith at least 50 companies in theYorkshire and Humber region.

IPOS has already carried outassignments for some 15 firms.

In addition to regional collabora-tions, it has formed overseas links.

Among them, it has helped a Nor-wegian company that is developingnew ways to carry out body scans.

A large proportion of the equip-ment in the laboratories was suppliedby the US-based world leader in thefield, Agilent Technologies.

And the IPOS team has providedthe company with valuable feedbackthat will help with the optimisation ofthe technology.

The fruitful relationship betweenIPOS and Agilent was strengthenedwhen the European vice-president ofthe Californian company, DaniloCazzolo – who is himself a highlyqualified organic chemist – came tothe university to open the new lab.

Also in attendance were heads ofsome of the Yorkshire region’s leadingfirms in the chemical field.

A spokesman for the university

said: “Over the coming years, IPOSwill continue to work on projects suchas the development of sustainablealternatives to fossil fuels, new meth-

ods of improving the food supplyaround the world and new drugs andmedical techniques.”

■ APPLIED SCIENCE: Prof Mike Page (right), head of HuddersfieldUniversity's IPOS team, with Danilo Cazzolo, European vice-president ofAgilent Technologies, at the opening of the new £2.3m laboratory

Yorkshire firms ‘must enter overseas markets’FIRMS in Yorkshire are failing to getto grips with overseas markets, claimsa survey.

Figures from e-commerce specialistAlibaba.com showed that 92% ofsmall and medium-sized businesses inthe region are failing to consider theglobal marketplace.

One in five consider themselves toosmall to trade with partners fromoutside the UK while trust issues andcultural and language barriers werealso cited as major drawbacks.

Maggie Choo, general manager atAlibaba.com, said: “Small businessesin Yorkshire believe that they are

ill-equipped to compete in the globalmarketplace, but in fact the opposite istrue.

“The internet has opened up a hostof opportunities for businesses toreach out, connect and trade easilyand securely online. It is crucial thatthey take advantage of e-commerceplatforms if they are to remain com-petitive.”

An astonishing 89% of Yorkshire’ssmall businesses spend up to £1,000each time they review a supplier rela-tionship. Nearly a third of businessesconduct this review quarterly, thusincurring a cost of up to £4,000 each

per year.Despite 38% believing that a regular

review of suppliers is vital to remain-ing competitive, a quarter admitted torelying on companies that they hadused historically. Some 30% of busi-nesses take up to a month to find asupplier they are happy with – anextended lead time which could lead tomissed opportunities.

Said Maggie: “Time and money areone of the most valuable commoditiesfor any business and it is essential tomake the best possible use of both if anorganisation is to trade profitably.

“It is a daunting time for small

businesses which often operate withsmall teams and limited resources.”

Sir Andrew Cahn, chief executive ofUK Trade & Investment, said: “Smallbusinesses need not be cut off from theglobal marketplace or feel that inter-national business is only for big com-panies.

“For many smaller firms, tradingabroad can be the path to greatersuccess and growth.

“Countries in the Far East areexperiencing rapid growth and Britishgoods, in virtually every sector, are indemand for their quality and sophist-ication.”

KIRKLEES BUSINESS NEWS national Page 2

SHARE PRICESLocal shares

FTSE closed at

5680.83Down 52.00

ENGINEERING andsupport services firmKier is paying up to£2.4m for Beco, a firmdesigning and installingrenewable energysources.

Beco will become partof Kier Group’s newlyformed business unit,Kier Energy Innovations

SPACE agency NASA has handedUK defence technology firm Qinetiqa potential £1.2bn contract forengineering work at its KennedySpace Centre.

Qinetiq’s North American opera-tion is expected to start work at thespace centre in Florida next March,although final details of the deal arestill being thrashed out.

The contract is set to span at leastfive years, with a base contractworth £99m and a further possible£1.1bn.

Qinetiq’s work will include design-ing and developing ground systemsand equipment for ground pro-cessing of NASA launch vehicles

and spacecraft, as well as techno-logy for NASA mission require-ments.

Shares in Qinetiq rose by 1.4p to113.7p on news of the contract win,which comes at a difficult time forthe group’s public sector divisions.

Qinetiq, which employs about6,000 workers in the UK, is facing amajor spending clampdown by theMinistry of Defence, while it is alsovulnerable to defence cuts in the USwhere it has significant operations.

The company has staff in nearlyevery North American state andcounts clients including HomelandSecurity Agencies and the USDepartment of Energy.

OUTSOURCING firmMITIE reported a 12%rise in profits as it stepsup efforts to secure morecontracts from publicsector clients.

The Bristol-basedcompany is focusing“additional resources andexpertise” on areas suchas justice, health,education and localgovernment in a drive tobenefit from the currentwave of cost cutting inthe public sector.

MITIE has alsosecured work in theprivate sector afterwinning contracts withRolls-Royce, ManchesterAirport and the RoyalOpera House, alongsidea deal to provide facilitiesand energy managementfor Vodafone in UK andIreland.

Revenues for thehalf-year to September30 rose by almost 15% to£918.7mwhile profits onan underlying basisincreased by 12.3% to£47.5m.

MITIE has more than56,000 full and part-timestaff. The group offersservices ranging fromproperty management,cleaning, security andmaintenance to adviceon cutting carbonemissions.

INTERACTIVE whiteboard makerRM Group shrugged off fears thatGovernment budget cuts will hamperits growth, as it announced a thirdsuccessive year of record sales andprofits.

RM suffered a blow in the summerwhen the Government announcedplans to scale back or cancel unfin-ished Building Schools for the Futureprojects, including seven worth£200m for which RM was the pre-ferred bidder.

The amount of business it hassigned up for the future has fallen by8% on a year earlier to £385m –mainly as a result of the cut-backs.

But RM, which provides IT andsoftware services such as interactivewhiteboards and classroom techno-logy, said funding for UK schools willshow modest real-terms growth overthe next four years and it still seessignificant opportunities for furthergrowth in the UK.

It also plans to grow its overseasbusinesses, particularly in the US andAustralia, with the aim of becoming aglobal leader in education solutions.

Sales increased by 10% to £380.1mand adjusted operating profits rose by12% to £19.9m in the year to Septem-ber 30. The company also increasedits dividend by 8%.

Qinetiq has lift-off with contract RM upbeat despite cuts

Chinese contractboosts Rolls-Royce

Profits upfor MITIE

Beco deal

NORTH AMERICANAmerican Express £26.64 -0.17Gannett 794.41 -3.76Hess Corp £43.80 -0.34Microsoft 1609.51 -1.25Motors Liquidation 47.02Wal-Mart Stores £34.16 +0.06

AEROSPACE & DEFENCEAvon Rbbr 1681/2 +1BAE Systems 3457/8 -33/4Rolls-Royce Gp 5901/2 -11/2

AIMBrady Plc 61 -1Dawson Intl 15/8Man Brnze 563/4 -3

AUTOMOBILES & PARTSG K N 1915/8 -21/8

BANKSBarclays 270 -41/4HSBC 6533/4 -33/4Lloyds Banking Gp 637/8 -23/4Ryl Scotland 397/8 -17/8Stan Chart 1786 -17

BEVERAGESDiageo 1184 -5SABMiller £211/8

CHEMICALSCroda 1447 +10Elementis 98 1115/8 -13/8Johnsn Mat 1878 -17

CONSTRUCTION & MATERIALSBalfour Beatty 2751/2 -31/2Costain 2121/4 +1/4

ELECTRICITY

Drax Gp 3741/4 +33/4Intl Power 4331/4 -35/8Scottish & SthrnEnergy

1167 +11

ELECTRONIC & ELECTRICAL EQUIPMENTLaird 1391/4 -1/4

EQUITY INVESTMENT INSTRUMENTSAlliance Trust 3501/2 -23/4

FIXED LINE TELECOM SERVICESBT Grp 1631/4 -13/4Cable & WirelessComm

451/2 -11/2

Cable & WirelessWwide

653/8 -1

Colt Group 1213/4 -1/4KCOM 511/2 +1Talktalk Telecom 1533/4 +21/4

FOOD & DRUG RETAILERSMorrison W 273 -11/2Sainsbury 3613/4 -5Tesco 4217/8 -43/4

FOOD PRODUCERSAB Food 1075 -9Nth Foods 541/2Tate Lyle 5231/2 -8Unilever 1874 -10Uniq 67/8 -3/8

GAS, WATER & MULTIUTILITIESCentrica 3291/2 -3/8National Grid 581 +21/2Pennon Grp 628Severn 1459 +20United Utils 627 -1

GENERAL FINANCIAL3i Group 310 -4

ICAP 4621/4 -123/4London StockExch 755 -2Man Group 2881/2 -65/8Provident Financial 766 +9Schroders 1589 -12Schroders NV 1262 -13

GENERAL INDUSTRIALSCooksn Grp 533 +61/2REXAM 3133/4 -7/8Smiths Grp 1135 -10

GENERAL RETAILERSAshley L 17Carphone Whse 3641/2 +21/4Dixons Retail 251/8Home Retail 206 -3/4Inchcape 3373/4 -21/4Kingfisher 2491/4 +41/2M & S 3775/8 -3Mothercare 5231/2 +11/2Next £205/8 -1/8WH Smith 4753/8 +3/8

HEALTH CARE EQUIPMENT & SERVICESSmith Nph 5851/2 -11/2

HOUSEHOLD GOODSAga Rangemaster 80 -1Barrat Dev 743/4 -1/8Persimmon 351 -2Reckitt Benckiser £357/8Taylor Wimpey 251/4 +3/4

INDUSTRIAL ENGINEERINGCharter 6931/2 -131/2I M I 846 -3

INDUSTRIAL METALSFerrexpo 3711/4 +21/4

INDUSTRIAL TRANSPORTATION

BBA Aviation 1963/8 -13/8Forth Ports 1286 +2

LIFE INSURANCEAviva 3923/4 -61/4Lgl & Gen 943/4 -23/4Old Mutual 1241/2 -31/4Prudential 6001/2 -14Resolution 2303/4 -61/4Standard Life 216 -67/8

MEDIABSkyB 724 -2Chrysalis 164 +4D Mail Tst 5651/2 -1ITV 683/8 +1/8Johnston Press 11Pearson 939 +81/2Reed Elsevier 5351/2STV Group 921/2 +21/4Trinity Mirror 731/4 -11/4Utd Business 639 -31/2UTV 137 -3WPP 733 -81/2Yell Group 12 +1/8

MININGAnglo American £287/8 -1/2Antofagasta 1375 -2BHP Billiton £231/4 -1/8Eurasian NaturalRes

898 -12

Fresnillo 1404 -4Kazakhmys 1440 -10Lonmin 1734 -46Rio Tinto £417/8 -1/2VEDANTARESOURCES

£221/4 +1/8

Xstrata 1299 -20

MOBILE TELECOM SERVICES

Inmarsat 6811/2 -91/2Vodafone Group 1661/8 -15/8

NONLIFE INSURANCEAdmiral Grp 1520 -34RSA Insurance Gp 1243/8 -21/8

OIL & GAS PRODUCERSBG 12091/2 -121/2BP 431 -47/8Cairn Energy 3683/4 -41/4Royal Dutch Shell A £20 -1/4Royal Dutch Shell B 19771/2 -23Total £323/4 -3/8Tullow Oil 1198 -8

OIL EQUIPMENT & SERVICESAMEC 1130 -22

Petrofac 1460 -21Wood Group 4781/2 -1/4

PERSONAL GOODSBurberry Gp 1029 -4PHARMACEUTICALS & BIOTECHNOLOGY

Astrazeneca £301/2Axis-Shield 2431/4 -13/4GlaxoSmithK XD 4Shire 1533 -8

REAL ESTATEBrit Land 4871/4 -91/8Captl Shop Cent 3617/8 -33/4DTZ Hldgs 41 +1/2Hamrsn 3991/2 -41/4Land Secs 6511/2 -18SEGRO 2933/8 +15/8

SOFTWARE ETC SERVICESAutonomy Corp 1395 -21Dimension Data 1193/4 -1/4Invensys 329 -6Logica 1221/4 -3/4Misys 2931/2 +3/8Sage Group 260 -1

SUPPORT SERVICESBunzl 711 -10Capita 674 -3Davis ServiceGroup

3997/8 -11/4

De La Rue 623 -6Electrocomp 267 -21/2Experian 735 -71/2G4S 2471/4 -2Hays 1073/4 -11/4Homeserve 426 -41/2Menzies J 470 -3Rentokil 923/4 -11/8Smiths News 104 +21/2

Wolseley 1754

IT HARDWARE

ARM Hldgs 3833/4 -11/4Psion 951/2 +11/4Spirent Comms 1483/4 -1/8

TOBACCO

Br Am Tob £241/8 -1/8Imperial Tobacco £20 -1/8

LEISURE & HOTELS

Brit Airways 2653/4 -43/4Carnival £26 -1/8Compass Grp 539 +10easyJet 4451/4 +51/2Enterprise Inns 1071/8 +1/2FirstGroup 3811/8 -3/8Go-Ahead Gp 1225 -16Greene King 4523/4 +13/4Intercontl Htls 1138 -3Ladbrokes 1281/2 -3/4Mitchells & Butlers 3533/4 -21/4Natl Express 2393/4 -21/8PartyGaming 238 +25/8Rank Org 1297/8 -1/8Stagecoach Group 2043/8 +1/4TUI Travel 208 +71/4Whitbread 1705 -4

INDEXFTSE 100 5680.83 -52.00

INDEXFTSE 250 10796.55 -30.56

TOURIST RATES

Tourists going abroad can expectthe following rates for sterling:Australia...................... 1.53 dollarsBangladesh................. 106.49 takaBrazil.............................. 2.46 realsCanada....................... 1.55 dollarsChina ............................. 9.52 yuanCzech Republic ...... 26.50 korunasDenmark....................... 8.29 kroneEuro................................ 1.11 euroHong Kong................ 11.80 dollarsHungary ................... 285.66 forintsIndia.......................... 64.05 rupeesJapan........................... 127.36 yenMexico ....................... 17.47 pesosNew Zealand .............. 1.92 dollarsNorway ......................... 9.12 kronePakistan.................. 129.15 rupeesPhilippines ................. 60.34 pesosSouth Africa................. 10.42 randSouth Korea.............. 1571.00 wonSri Lanka ................ 168.56 rupeesSweden....................... 10.46 kronaSwitzerland.................. 1.52 francsTaiwan ...................... 42.37 dollarsTurkey....................... 2.19 new liraUSA ............................ 1.53 dollars

Carclo 1961/2 -3Chapelthorpe 231/2Marshalls 1101/2 +21/2National Grid 581 +21/2Weir Gp 1705 -28

ENGINEERING giant Rolls-Royce hasunveiled an order worth £1.1bn in itslatest deal from the fast-growing Chinesemarket.

The Derby-based manufacturer haswon an order from Air China for enginesto supply and service 20 planes.

The contract provides a welcomeboost after the company’s shares cameunder pressure following the mid-airfailure of one of its Trent 900 engines.

The deal to power 10 Airbus A350sand 10 A330s comes a fortnight after anorder worth £750m from China EasternAirlines.

Rolls is well-established in China,where it has a 56% share of the marketfor large civil aerospace engines.

Since the start of July, Rolls has wonmore than £2.8bn in orders from cus-tomers worldwide for the Trent 700 –

confirming its position as the marketleader on the A330.

About 1,000 are now in service or onfirm order.

The Trent XWB, which will power AirChina’s Airbus A350 planes, is the fast-est selling Trent engine ever with morethan 1,000 sales since 2007.

The Chinese deal comes as Rolls looksto allay safety fears about its Trent 900engine after one exploded during aQantas flight, forcing the Australiancarrier to ground its fleet of A380 super-jumbos.

Rolls has isolated the cause of thefailure to a specific component in theturbine of the Trent 900 engine, whichsparked an oil fire and led to the releaseof a turbine disc.

Steve Miller, vice-president forRolls-Royce’s civil aerospace operations

in China, said: “Our world class techno-logy and service support enables ourcustomers to achieve unrivalled per-formance benefits.

“We are very proud that Air China hasagain put their trust in us with this neworder for the Trent XWB engine and afollow-on order for the Trent 700.”

Rolls-Royce supplies more than 600airlines, 4,000 corporate aircraft andhelicopter operators and more than 160armed forces as well as more than 2,000marine customers in nearly 120 coun-tries,.

The company employs 39,000 skilledpeople in 50 countries.

Shares in the company closed down by1.5p at 590.5p despite the contract win –although they were up by 1% at 595.5pearlier in the day. The shares began themonth at 661p.

■ ROLLING ALONG: China isproving a major market

KIRKLEES BUSINESS NEWS profile Page 3KIRKLEES BUSINESS NEWS profile Page 3

Karl Ward

HENRYK ZIENTEK

Role: DirectorAge: 55Family: Married to Caro with13-year-old twins Daniel andNicholasHolidays: SardiniaCar: Honda AccordFirst job: Working in theInland Revenue valuationoffice in HuddersfieldBest thing about job: I’min control of my own destinyWorst thing about job:Dealing with people whodon’t careBusiness tip: If you sayyou are going to dosomething, do it!

Work: Distribute, supplyand fit slip preventioncoatingsSite: ShepleyEmployees: TwoPhone: 01484 608001Email: karl@surefootsystems.comWebsite: www.surefootsystems.com

SurefootSystems

Karlstridesout forsales

SUPER salesman KarlWard is taking big strides inbusiness.

Shepley-based Karl, whohas a string of sales awardsto his name, is reaping thebenefits as managingdirector of SurefootSystems UK Ltd, acompany supplyingslip-proofing treatments forfloors.

The company hassupplied and installed thesystems for major namesincluding designer outletchain McArthur Glen,Center Parcs, Next, Bootsand The Mall Corporation, acompany with 29 shoppingcentres around the country.

The treatments have alsobeen applied to floors inbars, restaurants, counciloffices, supermarkets,sports centres anduniversities..

Surefoot Systems isexclusive UK distributor forthe Anti-slip system andalso has distribution rightsin France, where it workswith a network of 20distributors and hassupplied anti-sliptreatments for the viewingroof on the Arc de Triomphein Paris.

The firm has alsosupplied products forMercedes Benz World, thecar maker’s museum basedat its UK headquarters andtest track in Weybridge,Kent.

The latest development isto provide DIY packs forsale in hardware shops forthe domestic market andsmall contractors.

Karl is also consideringfranchising the business –enabling other buddingentrepreneurs to buy intothe Surefoot success story.

“We have a provenbusiness model and wehave an incredible clientbase,” he says. “We havealready spoken to theBritish FranchisingAssociation and we haveproved that this is an ideathat can run and make aprofit.”

Karl has invested astutelyin the business –developing a website andacquiring a machine whichmeasures slip resistancelevels – to explain topotential clients how thesystems work.

Karl is also quick to paytribute to Business Link,which he says has played abig part in the firm’ssuccess.

“Business Link wasinstrumental in helping meget a rural businessdevelopment grant forthings like IT equipmentand new brochures,” hesays.

“I’m now a member of theBusiness Link forum forbusinesses in theHuddersfield area.

“We meet once a quarterto talk to each other andhear speakers on businessissues.

“The members allrepresent very differentbusinesses, but we all havesimilar business concerns.”

Karl says health andsafety legislation and the“no-win, no-fee” lawyershave helped drive demandfor anti-slip coatings.

He says: “When I boughtthe distribution rights in2002, I had an idea thatsafety and slip preventionwould be big, but I didn’trealise how big it wouldbecome.”

Despite safety campaignsdedicated to reducing slipsand trips, research by theHealth and Safety Executivesuggests that they remain amajor problem – accountingfor thousands of injurieseach year.

But Karl adds: “It is notjust about organisationstrying to protect themselvesfrom law suits. Providing asafe environment is alsoabout doing things right foremployees and members ofthe public.”

Karl’s success withSurefoot Systems has beenhard-won. He had beensuccessfully sellingmaintenance products andcoatings for more than 20years before being maderedundant following achange of ownership at thefirm for which he worked.

“I had no idea what I wasgoing to do,” he says. “I was47 and I had never been outof work. I tried to go fordifferent things. I wasoffered two jobs which Iturned down because theydid not inspire me. I couldnot get excited about them.”

Instead, Karl followed up

an advert from a Dutch firmseeking a UK distributor forits anti-slip systems.

“The idea was moreexciting than the job offersI’d received, but also muchmore risky,” he says.

“It would have been easyto take a job offer andappear to be enthusiastic,but I knew I would belooking for another jobwithin a few months. And itwouldn’t have been fair tothe person who offered methe job.”

Karl knows all aboutbeing in the “wrong job”.

As a pupil at AlmondburySecondary School, he wascaptain of the cricket teamand had trials for Yorkshire.

But at the age of 16, hejoined the Inland Revenuevaluation office inHuddersfield.

“My grandfather said Iwould have a job for life anda good pension,” Karlrecalls. “But it bored thepants off me!

“One day, one of theladies working with me saidI ought to be a salesman.She said: ‘I’ve beenlistening to you on thephone and the way youhandle complaints andquestions you would earn alot more money than beingstuck in this place’.”

Karl got his first sales jobas an independent

distributor forHarrogate-basedmaintenance productsfirm Belzona.

In time, the firm’sfounder offered him anemployed role as salesdirector.

Says Karl: “I turned itdown for 12 monthsbecause I did not want tobe employed.

“Eventually, I wasoffered a contract and bigsalary and at the age of35 I became a director ofthe firm.

“I took the job with theattitude that if I was fired,I would go into businessfor myself.

“I did 11 years as salesdirector and it was a greatlearning curve.

“When the founderdied, it was all change. Iwas called in on a Fridayafternoon and was maderedundant with no notice.”

The offer from Hollandfollowed – and Karl andhis wife Caro debated thepros and cons of takingthe big step.

He says: “We got a bigpiece of plaint wallpaperand some felt tip pensand did a ’SWATanalysis’. Writing abusiness plan was verydifficult – even with myexperience as a salesdirector.

“But we knew who ourclients were and we knewhow to pitch a sale.”

Now Surefoot Systemshas a database of 500contacts and has workedfor 25 of the UK’s topblue-chip businesses.

It has suppliedslip-resistant treatmentsfor locations ranging fromthe Newcastleunderground toMarylebone Station.

Away from work, Karlstill enjoys his cricket,playing for NortonthorpeCC.

He also helps Caro withher career as an artistwho has exhibited at theYorkshire Show and soldworks to Zara Phillips and

Jilly Cooper.Karl and Caro have

13-year-old twin boysDaniel and Nicholas.

The family keeps twohorses and has amenagerie of otherpets.

“We are always doingDIY and gardening,”says Karl. “We alsoenjoy the countryside.”

■ NO SLIPS: Karl Ward, of Surefoot Systems UK Ltd,demonstrates how the product works

KIRKLEES BUSINESSlocal Page 4

TAXTALKColin Barratt

Colin Barratt is tax partner at Wheawill and Sudworth chartered accountants, Huddersfield

Driving aheadto the FrontlineBATLEY-basedmotor financecompanyFrontlineSolutions hasreached amilestone.The companyhas installed its200thDealTrak123system, whichuses latest technology to connectmotor dealers to an array ofmarket leading lenders whensorting out finance and insurancefor customers.Managing director Andy Shuter(pictured) said that DealTrak123allowed the user to send out aproposal to multiple lendersquickly and efficiently.In just a few clicks, they were ableto quote the customer, value theirpart exchange and sell theminsurance.The system is now being used incar dealerships across thecountry.Frontline was formed in 2003 andhas grown to become one of theUK's largest providers of financebroker systems.Mr Shuter, said: “This is a greatachievement for Frontline.“We have worked hard to developthe DealTrak123 system to ensurethat it meets the ever-changingdemands of the industry.“I am extremely proud of the teamat Frontline who have workedexceptionally hard to get us to thispoint.”

Society getsthe plauditsYORKSHIRE Building Society haswon plaudits for customerservice.The society, which has its roots inHuddersfield, landed theExcellence in Treating CustomersFairly prize in the annual MortgageFinance Gazette Awards.And the society’sintermediary-only lender, AccordMortgages, was recognised asBest Non-advisor Lender.The awards were judged by apanel including personal financejournalists along with members ofthe Council of Mortgage Lendersand the Building SocietiesAssociation.Pete Sowden, head of servicequality at the society, said:“Fairness has been one of theYorkshire’s four values for adecade and is integral toeverything the society does.“We’re delighted that the work wedo to ensure we are treatingcustomers fairly has beenrecognised through theseprestigious awards.”

Yorkshire Mafiawelcomes Dean!TOWN chairman Dean Hoyle joinsa special “billion-pound panel” ofbusiness leaders at a major confer-ence in Yorkshire next spring.

The former owner and director ofCard Factory will be among thespeakers at the Yorkshire MafiaConference, which takes place onMarch 15 at the Royal Armouries inLeeds. Organisers will unveil theidentity of other panel members incoming weeks.

Mr Hoyle will offer insights intohis experiences building up greetingcards retailer Card Factory, which hesold last April for a reported£350m.

He said: “I am really excited andhonoured to be a part of the firstYorkshire Mafia Conference. Itpromises to be one of the biggestevents in the region’s business calen-dar.

“I believe that the Yorkshire regionis a real ‘hub’ for businesses, which iswhy we are so proactive on this sideof the football club’s commercialoperation. As such, it is fitting that

Huddersfield Town is a partner ofthe Yorkshire Mafia Conference.

“I hope I can help out some localentrepreneurs and business peoplewith advice taken from my owncareer and experiences.”

Danny Matharu, of event organ-iser Hillrich, said: “Dean is a trueentrepreneur and a perfect choice forour Billion Pound Panel.

“He’s a Yorkshireman who startedhis business with very little and graf-ted his way to achieve astonishingsuccess.

“The delegates at The YorkshireMafia Conference will identify withDean and be inspired by him – Iknow I certainly am.”

The Billion Pound Panel is onepart of the Yorkshire Mafia Confer-ence, which will see more than 1,000decision makers from across York-shire and beyond come together toshare best practice, network andexchange referrals, leads and tradewith each other.

There will also be a full day ofbusiness seminars while 78 exhibitors

will promote their Yorkshire-basedproducts and services.

The Yorkshire Mafia began as aLinkedIn group in November, 2008.With more than 4,500 members andgrowing at about 120 members eachweek, it has grown far beyond its

origins as an online regional businessnetworking group to become a dealfacilitator, relationship broker,regional business platform and opin-ion former.

Go to www.theyorkshiremafiac-onference.com

■ MATCH DAY: Town chairman Dean Hoyle (second right), who willspeak at the Yorkshire Mafia business conference, with (from left)Yorkshire Mafia founder Geoff Shepherd, Town commercial director SeanJarvis and Danny Matharu, event organiser

Key facts to considerIN my last article, I looked

at the income tax implica-tions of property letting andfor this article I want to con-centrate on Capital GainsTax.

The gain on the sale of letproperty is determined simply asthe difference between the saleproceeds net of any selling costs,less the original cost includingstamp duty, legal fees and dis-bursements.

A further deduction can bemade for any capital costsincurred such as an extension.

Normal repair expenditurewill be revenue and should havebeen claimed as a deductionagainst rental income.

Where the property has atsome point been the owner’sonly or main residence, CGTrelief can be claimed for thisactual period of residence as wellas the final 36 months of owner-ship.

Letting relief could also beclaimed in these circumstancesup to £40,000 and if the propertyis let jointly by a husband andwife, both could claim up to£40,000.

Every individual, including

both husband and wife, areentitled to make tax free gains ofup to £10,100 (for 2010/11) eachyear.

Over and above that figure,gains on the disposal of prop-erty, on or after June 23, 2010,are taxed at either 18% or 28% ora combination of the two.

The CGT rate of 18% willapply to individuals where tax-able gains (above the £10,100exemption) and income fallwithin the basic rate band andthe 28% rate applies to taxablegains or part of gains whichexceed the basic rate band, whichfor 2010-11 is £37,400.

Husbands and wives can ownproperty in whatever proportionthey like provided, of course theproper legal documentation is inplace and if one is likely to facethe higher CGT rate of 28% andthe other only 18% then it is

possible for the ownership to beweighted to the lower tax payingspouse.

Always make sure that theannual exemption of £10,100 isused for both spouses whendeciding on the split.

If the property has been let toa business, then potentially suchgains may attract Entrepreneurs’Relief which will effectively taxgains at a lower rate of 10%.

In these circumstances thereare a number of conditionswhich need to be met in order toclaim this relief and the receipt ofrent since April 6, 2008, couldalso jeopardise entitlement toEntrepreneurs’ Relief.

Professional advice should besought in this area particularlywith the increase in the lifetimelimit of Entrepreneurs’ Relief to£5m and up to £900,000 worth oftax relief at stake.

Friday wind-downBUSINESS people in Huddersfield aregetting that Friday feeling!The next meeting of the First Friday Clubtakes place from 12.30pm to 1.30pm onFriday, December 3, at the Head ofSteam pub in St George’s Square.The club was formed to provide aninformal, friendly atmosphere for towncentre business people – with nopressure, no formalities and norestrictions.Contact Krishna Patel, of accountancyfirm Revell Ward via email atkrishna.patel@revellward.co.uk

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KIRKLEES BUSINESS NEWS local Page 5

d to get us to this

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Companies could reap rewards

Principled standat the universityCUSTOMER service came underthe spotlight at the first of a seriesof lectures staged by HuddersfieldUniversity’s Marketing Society.

Three top-drawer industryexperts have been lined up for aseries of lectures under the titlePutting Principles into Practice.

Support for the lectures isprovided by the Chartered Insti-tute of Marketing and SMileS, thetext messaging division of MEConsultancy Ltd.

Providing insight at the firstevent was author and motivationalspeaker Mark Bradley.

Senior lecturer and eventco-organiser Nadio Granata said:“Mark delivered a fascinatinginsight into some of the hor-rendous inadequacies that custom-ers regularly face when beingserved either in the high street or atevents such as football matches.”

The second presentation tomor-row will be delivered by socialmedia expert Paul Scott, of York-shire Business Growth.

Paul has more than 20 yearssales and marketing experiencewith organisations includingA c o r n C o m p u t e r s, Ap p l e,andThirdforce plc.

“Paul will deliver an insight intohow to develop and execute amarketing strategy for businesses

in the 21st century, with particularemphasis on the use of social net-works such as Twitter, Facebook,Linked-In and others”, said MarkEvans, managing director andfounder of SMileS.

Speaking about his involvement,he added: “This series enables us tosupport the university businessschool’s mission of engaging thestudents with high caliber profes-sionals.

“We are delighted to be able tooffer our text messaging services todrive more people to these import-ant events.”

The third presentation in theseries will be held on Wednesday,February 9 when Graham Whitbywill talk about getting yourproduct to market..

“We have invited Graham totake part because he has learntsuch a lot since being the very firstperson to present on Dragons’Den,” said senior lecturer andco-organiser Lisa Du-Lieu.

“He has travelled the world andmanaged to get some of hisproducts into more than a dozencountries, despite what theDragons’ said about him.

“Most importantly, he talkswith passion and pride.”

The lectures are free to attend,but places are limited. The events

take place at in the Castle HillSuite at the university’s CentralServices Building on the Queens-gate campus.

Please book in advance by tex-ting ‘EVENT’ followed by yourn a m e t o : 6 7 7 7 7 o r e m a i ln.granata@hud.ac.uk to reserve aplace.

Kimberley Binns, student andfounder of the Principles to Prac-tice series, said: “On behalf of theMarketing Society I would like tothank in advance each guestspeaker for not only taking timeout of their busy schedule but forsharing their knowledge andexperiences.”

■ LECTURE TIME: Guest speaker Mark Bradley (left) with (from left)Mark Evans,of sponsor SMileS; event organiser Kimberley Binns;Nadio Granata, of Huddersfield University’s business school; and AndyEarnshaw, of SMileS, at the first Putting Principles into Practice event

Flying start for footballers!

Food firmsgets a boostKIRKLEES food and drinkfirms are set to benefit from a£2.4m initiative to boostproductivity and performancein the sector.Cash will be available to helpthe Yorkshire andHumberside’s 1,300 food anddrink manufacturingbusinesses fund the costs ofan innovative newqualification designed todevelop skills in leanmanufacturing, sustainabilityand productivityimprovements.The Food ManufactureExcellence proficiencyqualifications have beendeveloped by Improve, theYorkshire-based food anddrink sector skills council, inconsultation with leadingcompanies includingSwizzells Matlow, Heinz,Warburton’s, Kensey Foodsand Coors Brewery.It will be launched onDecember 3 at a specialindustry summit being hostedby Improve and the NationalSkills Academy for Food andDrink at the BIS ConferenceCentre in London.Justine Fosh, director of skillssolutions at Improve and theNational Skills Academy forFood and Drink, said: “FMEprovides a practical solutionto one of the key issuesfacing food and drinkbusinesses.“As global competitionincreases and as supplychains are put under pressureby climate change andpopulation growth, the foodindustry is under realpressure to driveimprovements in productivityand performance and findways of working which aremore sustainable andefficient.“The FME qualificationcaptures the very best frombusiness improvementapproaches like leanmanufacturing andincorporates them into atraining package that isdirectly relevant to the foodand drink industry and fullyadaptable to the needs ofindividual businesses.”Yorkshire’s food and drinkindustry is worth £2.7bn ayear to the UK economy.

A MULTI-MILLION pound fundhas been launched to help smallfirms across Yorkshire.

Reward Capital is being led byAndrew Ward, a former regionaldirector at Credit Agricole Com-merc ia l F inance, and TimVaughan, managing director atMoorgarth Properties.

The fund has been set up toinvest in SME companies on anasset-backed and equity basis at atime when access to funding is still

difficult for many businesses. Theaim is to provide funds to helppromising businesses expand.

Reward Capital is set to investamounts ranging from £50,000 to£2m and aims to respond with anapproved offer within 72 hours ofan initial meeting.

Said Mr Ward: “Businesses maybe experiencing considerable fin-ancial pressure and managementare being asked to offer furthersecurity by way of equity or per-

sonal guarantees.“We can relieve this pressure and

provide a solution which willunderpin the success of a businessgoing forward, securing jobs andadding value. The aim is to investin and lend to SME companies inthe UK.

“Primarily the enquiries will begenerated from Yorkshire becausethat’s where we are based, but wewill go anywhere to look at adeal.

“We have is a committed fund-ing line from a very wealthybacker. “If we can demonstratethat we can make this businesswork over the first six to 12 monthsthen the current fund of ‘severalmillions’ can turn into much largerlines of potentially tens of mil-lions.”

Reward Capital expects to com-plete six to 10 deals in its first year,focusing on short term agree-ments.

ORGANISERS of a five-a-sidefootball competition aim to neta big sum for the Yorkshire AirAmbulance.

Daniel Krigers, of law firmChadwick Lawrence, isorganising the charitychallenge, which takes placethis Friday at Powerleague inLeeds.

There’s still time for teamsand individuals to enter – andswell the coffers for the KeepIt Up Campaign.

The cost of entering is £200plus VAT per team.

Phone Daniel on 01484519999, Neil Wilson on 07815069042 or emaildanielkrigers@chadlaw.co.uk

KIRKLEES BUSINESS NEWS property Page 6

Homes areworth £14bnHOMES in Huddersfield are worth almost£14bn, according to a survey.

Analysis by online property businessFindaproperty.com has valued the town’shousing stock at £13.9bn.

The figure is based on the value of everyhome in the town – from studio lofts through toluxury town houses. The average property inHuddersfield is worth £166,816 while the totalfigure works out at more than £94,000 forevery person living in the town..

However Huddersfield “property portfolio”has fallen in value during the past 12 months.The latest figure is 12% down on the £15.6bnquoted in last year’s survey – in line with mostother towns and cities.

Elsewhere in Yorkshire, domestic propertyin Leeds was valued at £50.96bn withSheffield at £37.33bn.

Nigel Lewis, property analyst atFindaProperty.com, said: “Once we’d done themaths, we were surprised at just how muchHuddersfield was worth – it’s amazing what itall adds up.

“We conducted this analysis because wethink it’s the best way to track the full impact offragile house prices during the current periodof uncertainty.

“Looking just at specific property types orparticular parts of town can be misleading asthese can vary wildly within the same place,so taking the overall value of a city’sproperties gives a fuller picture.”

Capitol successA MAJOR city property has new tenants.

Jones Lang LaSalle, acting on behalf ofEvans Property Group, has let space atCapitol House on Russell Street, Leeds, toSynapse Learning.

Synapse Learning, which specialises incareer training for 15-19 year olds, has taken7,104sq ft of space on a five-year lease.

Developmentwins top awardA HOLME Valley developer has excelled ina top property competition.

Brockholes-based Towngate Homes Ltdbeat off fierce competition from developersacross the country to win a coveted 2010 UKProperty Award.

The accolade came for Towngate’s Broom-field Avenue development in Halifax, whichwas named Best Property: Single Residencein the awards.

The judging panel included the head ofGoogle UK’s property market, the chiefexecutive of the National Federation ofP r o p e r t y P r o f e s s i o n a l s a n d t h eeditor-in-chief of International Homes Lux-ury Collection.

Broomfield Avenue is a luxury residentialdevelopment occupying a two-acre site in aconservation area overlooking Savile Parkon the outskirts of Halifax town centre.

The development comprises 16 spacious,stone detached homes and townhouses,which are being developed in a phasedapproach.

Towngate said interest in the high-endhomes has been keen since the companyunveiled its designs – with sales and reserva-tions secured on almost 60% of the develop-ment before any building work had begun.

The first four homes to complete this yearwere built to order for private clients – sohousehunters have not yet had the chance toview the finished product.

However, the first townhouse is now com-plete and will be unveiled as a show home atan open weekend on December 4 and 5.

Towngate chief executive Richard Conroysaid: “We are incredibly proud to havereceived this level of national recognition forBroomfield Avenue and to have been given

the opportunity to showcase the high stand-ard of homes in Yorkshire to a globalaudience.

“We have always placed maximumemphasis on quality and craftsmanship andrecently our site manager at BroomfieldAvenue, Graham Barber, received an NHBC2010 Pride in the Job Quality Award andSeal of Excellence for his work at this site.

“This approach has ensured our continuedsuccess throughout the difficult market con-ditions.

“To have been singled out from developersacross the whole country is a wonderfulreward for our dedicated team.”

The latest award follows Towngate’s sistercompany, Conroy Brook, being awarded twoof the housebuilding industry’s most covetedaccolades at the Housebuilder Awards2010.

The company was named Housebuilder ofthe Year in the small to medium category andBest Design for its Somersbury Court apart-ment complex in Almondbury.

Firm in the frameA WINDOW company inHuddersfield has com-pleted the mammoth taskof installing windows to113 homes in Fartown injust three months!

The project was com-pleted by Lockwood Win-dows on behalf of SadehLok Housing, a socialenterprise providing highquality, well-managed,energy-efficient and afford-able homes for singlepeople, couples, families,elderly or disabled per-sons.

Undertaking the install-ations in such a short spaceof time tested the organisa-tional and logistics skills ofthe Lockwood team – andrequired a very strict sched-ule to meet the deadline.

“We had 113 houses,1,000 individual windows,four fitters and just 65days,” said owner RichardPogson.

“This is probably the

biggest job we have had todo in such a short space oftime – and I’m proud to saythat we came in on time andon budget!”

Noel Keighley, mainten-ance officer for Sadeh Lok,said: “Lockwood Windowsis on our approved list ofcontractors, so when thisproject came about we

asked them to put in atender.

“We subsequently chosethem as the quality assess-ment we did showed thatthey were the best for thejob.

“We were more thanhappy with the work theycompleted – and so werethe residents, which is themost important factor.”

Lockwood Windows,based at PerseveranceMills, Lockwood, has beenmanufacturing for 13 yearsand has more than 20 yearsexperience in the UPVCwindow and conservatoryindustry.

To reinforce the fact thatthe company works toindustry standards, Lock-wood Windows has alsoundergone a stringent pro-cess with the independentMaster Window and Con-servatory Installers’ Asso-ciation to gain its Top 100industry award

Milestone for property teamBUSINESS centre owner Bizspace hasmarked its 10th anniversary with apresentation in Huddersfield.Property director Lisa Risk made apresentation to John De Mello, of De Mello’sGlass, which has been a tenant at Bizspace’sMarsh Mills complex since the business wasfounded 22 years ago.Said Lisa: “Demand for flexible workspace –from businesses of all sizes – has enabledBizspace to expand rapidly during the pastdecade and we now operate more than 110locations across England and Scotland.“Not only have these businesses survived achallenging global economy, they havehelped to bring to bring stability, investmentand jobs to the region and should serve asan inspiration to others – and particularlythose looking to start a new business.“We’d like to thank them for their continuedsupport during the past 10 years and lookforward to working with them to facilitatefuture growth.”De Mello’s Glass specialises in makingdouble glazed units for trade and retail.The company has clients as far afield asKent and Scotland and include a number ofcelebrities, including former Formula 1motor racing champion Nigel Mansell, theSultan of Brunei and footballer Ryan Giggs

■ HOUSE PROUD: Towngate Homes has won an award for its Broomfield Avenuedevelopment in Halifax

■ PRESENT COMPANY: Long standingclient, John De Mello accepts a 10thanniversary gift from Lisa Risk, propertydirector of Bizspace, to mark its 10 years inbusiness

■ WELL DONE: RichardPogson of LockwoodWindows

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Recently re-built industrial unitsbenefitting from large serviceyard and strategic location forJunctions 38 and 39 of the M1.

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KIRKLEES BUSINESS NEWS Movers and shakers Page 8

Michael Bee

Yorkshire BankONE of West Yorkshire’sbest-known bankingprofessionals is taking up abusiness development rolesupporting enterprises inCalderdale and Kirklees.

Michael Bee (pictured) hasbeen appointed to the bank’sWest Yorkshire businessdevelopment team, whichoperates from its Leeds andWest Yorkshire Financial Solutions Centres. Hewas previously a business partner at WestYorkshire FSC.

Mr Bee, 57, who will be based at WestYorkshire FSC in Bradford, has been withYorkshire Bank for 41 years. He joined the bankas a 16-year-old junior clerk in 1969 and hasheld a range of posts including managingbranches in North Parade and Broadway,Bradford, and being credit manager at YorkshireBank’s headquarters in Merrion Way, Leeds.

His new role gives him responsibility forbusiness development in Calderdale andKirklees. It follows Yorkshire Bank’s commitmentto lend £2bn to Yorkshire and Humberbusinesses and the launch of its Investing ForGrowth initiative which enables businesses torestructure loans and re-invest the cash into theiroperation for expansion, new staff, equipment,machinery and commercial development.

Toby Underwood

PwCTOBY Underwood has beenappointed byPricewaterhouseCooper as apartner in its northern businessrecovery services team coveringKirklees.

Mr Underwood (pictured) hasmore than 20 years experienceworking with financiallydistressed corporates, primarilybased in the North of England.His main focus has been to helpfinancial institutions in advising and resolvingcorporate situations and debt advisory work.

In 2000, Mr Underwood established Bank ofScotland's northern high risk team.

For the past five years, he has headed BDO’sLeeds business restructuring team. His work hasextended across the country and overseas. Heworks across a variety of sectors, including realestate.

Sam Waxman

Waxman EnergyA COMPANY operating in thefield of solar energy hasannounced a key appointment.

Elland-based Waxman EnergyLtd has named Sam Waxman(pictured) as director.

Waxman Energy Ltd wasformed in 2005 and has becomeone of the fastest growingdistributors of Solar PV in theUK. Its key suppliers includepanels from Schott and PhonoSolar, inverters from SMA and Kaco as well asroof mountings from SEN and Renusol.

Waxman Energy is part of the Waxman Group,a company with worldwide interests and trading infibres and tiles with more than 50 years’experience.

Mr Waxman said: “I am delighted to be part ofa fast-moving and exciting business where ourkey objective is to give good service and supportto our customers. The market is developing veryrapidly and we are looking forward to continuedgrowth in 2011 and beyond.”

Chatsworth isa hot property!KIRKLEES food and cookery companyCurry Cuisine is mixing it with the upperclasses.

The Dewsbury firm is supplying itsaward-winning range of traditionalhand-made chutneys and pickles to theChatsworth farm shop, which provideschoice products for visitors to the statelyhome in Derbyshire.

The farm shop was established in 1977 bythe Dowager Duchess of Devonshire to sellbeef and lamb from the estate farms.

It has a well-established reputation forfine food, specialising in local and regionalproducts that reflect the exceptional qualityof the house, its collection and the estate.

Curry Cuisine recently re-branded itschutneys and pickles range under the new“Chutnee’s Handmade” name to differenti-ate its products from the cookery arm of theoperation and appeal to a wider consumermarket.

The company is proud of its Yorkshireheritage and only works with the region’sfarmers within a 50-mile radius to sourcefresh, local ingredients for its products. Allthe products are traditionally handmade atCurry Cuisine's Dewsbury manufacturing

site.Chatsworth farm shop stocks the com-

pany’s premium Luxury Mango Chutney,which won a Great Taste Award this year;Beetroot Chutney, which was a Great TasteAward winner in 2009; and other delicaciesincluding Hot Lime Pickle, Rhubarb andMango Pickle, Aubergine Pickle andIndian Tomato Pickle.

Paresh Tejura, operations director forCurry Cuisine, said: “We are delighted tosupply a farm shop at a premier touristattraction such as Chatsworth House.

“We know the shop only offers qualityproduce fresh from the estate, tenant farms,local suppliers and small British regionalfood producers like ourselves, so we feelprivileged to be among such quality suppli-ers.”

Andre Birkett, farm shop manager, said:“We had been looking to expand our rangesto reflect the cultural diversity of Britishfood today.

“We were delighted to find Curry Cuisinesourcing their ingredients locally and pro-ducing a range of great quality products,with the added benefit of being virtually onour doorstep.”

■ CURRY COLLECTION: PareshTejura, operations director of CurryCuisine, with some of the firm’saward-winning chutneys

Salon style just suits Carriann

A SALON manager in Huddersfield is sittingpretty after landing a regional award.

Carriann Christielow was named seniormanager of the year for the northern region inthe competition run by Salon Services, the UKdistributor and retailer of professional hair andbeauty products.

Carriann collected her trophy and £1,000 invouchers from Salon Services UK managingdirector Richard Hull at the company’s annualWinners Weekend held at Whittlebury Hall,Northampton.

Said Mr Hull: “Carriann’s contribution to ourbusiness and our customers is second to none.

I am delighted to be able to make this award.”Salon Services store managers could be

nominated for a number of awards recognisingtheir skills in areas such as sales, customerservice and promotional success.

Carriann said: “I was shocked and thrilled tohear that I’d won the award. It’s a great honourto receive it and the trophy now has pride ofplace in the store.”

She said: “We know the hair and beautycommunity here extremely well and my teamand I work extensively with them to give thebest service and expert advice.”

■ PICTURE PERFECT: Carriann Christielow (centre), of the Salon Services store inHuddersfield, with (from left) Duncan James, of the band Blue; Richard Hull, managing director ofSalon Services; Phil Beaulieu, operations director at Salon Services ; and regional managerNicola Knaggs

FreezingfundraiserACCOUNTANCY firmdirector Carolyn Atkinsonknows all about cold hardcash.

Now she has completedthe gruelling Great SalfordSwim, a challengingone-mile swim staged atManchester’s SalfordQuays.

Carolyn, director ataccountancy firmSheards, based at NewNorth Road inHuddersfield, enduredextremely cold watertemperatures to finish injust over 46 minutes andraise more than £400 forDiabetes UK.

She said: “My legs andfeet were so numb I hadto crawl out of the wateras I could not stand!

“I shook uncontrollablyfor about half an hour andhad to be half carried to aheated tent to get warmedthrough – but it was worthit!”

Two thousandswimmers took part in theevent and Carolyn came66th in her age group and1103rd overall.

A spokesman for thefirm added: “The enormityof the challenge cannot beunderestimated and all atSheards are very proud ofher efforts.”